From Beyond Eternity
by Originals143
Summary: AU. Fighting the pain hidden deep down her heart, Tasha knows she has to give him the happiness he deserves. She takes a resolve to give him all he has lost, all that involves bestowing the love beyond perpetuity.


**|: From Beyond Eternity :|**

**A/N:** An emotional and a heartbreaking story. Read at your own risk.

The lullaby/poem has been composed by me. No stealing, please!

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"Sshh! It's ok, sweetie! It's ok!" She finds her voice unnaturally hoarse as she tries quietening the shuddering sobs that echo around the room. Gently patting the four-year-old child's head, she embraces him into a hug and the sobs turn into mild muffled whimpers in her arms.

Her heart crumbles and she feels her soul axed into tiny bits as her eyes traverse to the direction the wailing child's trembling finger points. She stares at the photograph hanging on the wall for a few seconds till her mind grasps the reality.

She feels an urge to bawl, but the tears refuse to flow. She wants to scream at the top of her lungs, but her throat rejects her plea.

It's one of those rare times when Inspector Tasha, who is usually very open-minded and blunt when voicing her opinions, is left helpless and speechless when handling such situations.

The roaring sound of the turmoil in her head appears ear-splittingly loud in the calm eerie silence of the night.

She blankly gazes at the child in her arms till the soft quivering voice brings her to her senses. "Mumma!" The child blubbers amidst the teary face, and she makes him look at her. She regrets it the next instant as the swollen face of the four-year-old seems to prick her heart like a thousand invisible needles.

Gathering herself somehow, Tasha manages a rueful smile, averting her eyes despondently. "She's watching you, _beta_!" The words come out as a whisper as she faces the kid, taking his little hands in her own. The reaction is instant as the sobs cease momentarily and the red bleary eyes stare back at her. She is again reminded of the trauma the child has gone through and she winces.

Slumping her shoulders in defeat, she looks away, unable to face the countless questions floating in the four-year-old child's eyes yet again. The gentle touch of a hand against her cold cheek forces her to look back at the child. "_Maasi_, where's mumma? Where's daddy?" The familiar question returns on the kid's tear-stained face, and she sighs deeply.

Not that she has an answer to it every time the child raises it, hints of unanswered qualms clearly flashing in his eyes. The times are rare when she goes in a dilemma on whether she should make herself accustomed to the kid's never-ending doubts or to realize his questioning gazes are much beyond those she has seen in other children's eyes.

Aditya, in spite of being merely four years of age, is a sharp kid and has a mind capable of fathoming things other kids his age couldn't relate to.

It's the hidden conviction in his voice which gives her the strength to tell him the truth. "They're never coming back. Isn't it?" He whispers in a tone which makes her wonder for a second whether it is actually him speaking or his mother.

If she could get to hear her voice again...

Letting out a deep sigh, she takes his tiny hands in hers. "Adi... come here." She gestures the kid and leads him toward the edge of the bed.

When she gathers herself to look at him, his eyes are swarmed with countless questions, eagerly awaiting the answers.

The words get stuck in her throat yet again, but she knows she can no longer conceal the truth.  
>Convincing her heart to defeat the dominating trauma in her mind, she faces the kid with all the conviction she can muster.<p>

"Aditya.." She starts, ignoring the lump that seems to be rising in her throat. "Your mumma and daddy are... _not..._ coming back." The words come out more gruffly than expected, and she shuts her eyes momentarily, before continuing in a low whisper. "_Ever_!" She finishes, without opening her eyes to avoid noticing the anticipated agony on the kid's face.

He, however, appears unnaturally calm, albeit slightly wincing as the words pierce his heart. When she opens her eyes, she sees a pair of disdainful eyes staring back at her, devoid of any unfathomable expression.

There are times when she, in spite of parenting Adi for months, is left perplexed with his reaction to events occurring around him.

All she can react is a deep agonized sigh.

"Where are they?" He asks, his voice lowering down, his eyes fixed on her. She stares into those eyes, and for a moment, she is unable to differentiate between his eyes and his father's. Particularly when she remembers the latter's eyes when demanding an explanation.

"_Maasi_?" A gentle tug on the sleeve of her nightgown brings her back to reality. "_Beta_.." Her voice quivers as she speaks, managing a smile amidst the tears that form in her eyes. "They _love_ you... more than anything." She whispers, fighting back the tears.

Lifting the kid in her arms, she makes him sit on her knees, gently smoothing his hair. "They love you more than anything else in the universe." She repeats, and the child squirms in confusion. "And do you know where does this undying, unconditional love come from?" She smiles as Adi shakes his head, slightly twiddling his nose.

"The angels up there.." She points toward the window to the starry sky and continues. "We all have an angel up in the stars who loves us, cares for us... watches us every single second. And protects us." She softly caresses his hair as she carries him over to the window.

Sure enough, the kid's eyes glint in the reflection of the moonlight, and to her, it appears the most beautiful thing she has laid her eyes upon.

"Your mumma and daddy are your angels. Angels of love and care. To send you that unconditional love you deserve. To protect you from every evil. They watch you, Adi.. every moment. Watch for your happiness." She speaks in a soft tone, and a smile forms for the first time that evening on the child's face.

"So, do they have to live as angels to watch me being happy?" The child's tiny face lights up slightly, and Tasha lets out a soft laugh as she nods in reply. "Yes. So that they can send you the love from beyond the infinity." She answers, and his face produces a wide grin. "I'll be happy... never let them down." Adi affirms innocently, before looking up at the sky. "Promise mumma! Promise daddy!" He mumbles, and a lone tear escapes Tasha's eyes as she follows the kid's gaze to the sky and then to the photograph hanging over the wall.

Brushing the tears away, she smiles ruefully at the kid. "You will be. Very happy. Even though mumma and daddy are not with us, we'll stay happy for them." She smiles, and the child nods rigorously in agreement.

"You know why we named you Aditya?" She asks the kid, and he shakes his head, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Because that's what you are... our sunshine. You bright up our lives with your happy smile." She tweaks his nose, as his giggles fill up the room, sending a wave of warmth across her heart.

"Time to sleep!" She declares as Adi lets out a yawn. He snuggles in her arms, and she chuckles, carrying him to the bed.

As she puts him to sleep, his head on her lap, she heaves a sigh of evident relief. The serenity on the child's face, the tranquility in his heart is all that matters.

A smile unknowingly creeps on the kid's lips as the rhythm falls on his ears...

_Darkness of the night rules_

_Silence of the shadows prevails_

_Our cruel little days as they seem_

_Bestrode over the times of gleam_

_Moments of bliss shall reign one day_

_Bestowing upon us the lost happiness at bay_

_Nothing shall I let you fear_

_While I'm around for your every voice to hear_

_Dread nothing, my child_

_Wash the tears of your past so wild_

_No evil can cause you pain_

_Love is all you shall gain_

_Dream of the stars up there_

_Sending for you a warmth of care_

_As you lay sleeping in my arms_

_Your innocence is what eases my storms_

_Looking down upon you through a torn soul_

_The peace on your face can make me whole_

_I pull together the pieces of my heart_

_Taking a resolve to give you a new start_

_Your eyes are the reason my heart beats_

_A ray of light in the darkness that defeats_

_Your laughter is the reason of my being_

_Every burn on my soul as it seems healing_

_Sleep well, child, closing the doors of agony_

_A new life awaits you with a soothing symphony_

_Let your dreams guide you through solace_

_To a place arriving to a new calmness_

_A smile amidst the tears finds its way_

_Seeing your sleeping little face, I pray_

_To the Almighty a wish anew_

_For all the happiness to be blessed upon you_

As the kid falls asleep in her arms, Tasha's eyes traverse through his face. The peace. The innocence.

A smile lifts the corner of her lips as Adi slightly twitches his nose. The nose... one thing he seems to have inherited from his mother. She runs a soothing hand over the child's head as her gaze turns to the photograph hanging over the wall.

"Do you really have to stare at me like that every night?" She gives a soft laugh the first time that night, as she carefully places Adi on the bed, gently covering him with his blanket.

For times like this, she knows she doesn't need to tell her husband when she needs him. "Why don't you just let those tears fall?" He asks her without looking at her as he stands at the door.

"I'm fine!" She just manages to answer, taking one good look at the sleeping child, and walks toward her husband. In return, he simply raises his eyebrows at her. "Who are you fooling, Tasha?" He chuckles in spite of himself.

Over the years, Vivek has known his wife well enough to learn her habit of locking her feelings, her pain deep in the chambers of her heart with the keys thrown away, never to be found again. When she looks at him, he sees her eyes desperately trying to fight back the tears. "I'm fine, Vivek! Adi's fine. We all are here. Together." Her voice cracks as she speaks, and she shudders in an attempt to compose herself.

"Whatever happened with Abhijeet sir and Tarika wasn't anyone's mistake. It was an accident. A very unfortunate accident which..." His voice trails off, and he closes his eyes momentarily as the incident of the fatal car crash floats in front of him.

Composing himself, he cups his wife's face in his hands and makes her look at him. "Adi is our responsibility, Tasha. We will do _everything_ it takes to keep him happy. To give him the future which Abhijeet sir and Tarika must have thought for him. And we have to be strong for him, to lead him toward the life he deserves. That is what.." taking a pause, he ploughs on. "That is what will make Abhijeet sir and Tarika happy, up there." He smiles, his eyes fixed on her.

All she can do is nod her head in agreement.

Staring in her husband's eyes, she gets convinced yet again that evening that their decision to adopt Adi was the right one. Her lips quaver as they manage a smile.

"I love you.." He mumbles through a faint smile, her face still cupped in his hands. In response, she lets the tears escape from her eyes, emptying them of the accumulated despair and distress.

'_I promise, my child, I will give you the life, the happiness you deserve... to give you the love beyond eternity.' _Tasha takes a firm resolve to herself as she switches the bedroom light off, taking one good look at the sleeping child's face and follows her husband out of the room.

**~~ The End ~~~**

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**A/N: **Now, those who have a problem with Tasha adopting Adi, please write your own story. You sure don't need to read this, and later give in your 'valuable' thoughts about why is it this way or why isn't it that way. If you know what I mean.

My personal opinion that I feel no one can handle Adi better than Tasha, after Abhijeet and Tarika. Again. MY PERSONAL OPINION.

Don't review if you don't like.

Lastly, poem credits: Me (Originals143) Absolutely no stealing allowed again, please!

Credits for Adi's character and some phrases in the story obviously go to my great multi-talented friend Poesia-Riptide. :-)

Cheers folks!


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